In 2024, ALPA sponsored five Yolŋu students to attend the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Brisbane.

Among them, Briseis and Trevor stood out with their exceptional performances, earning spots at the Australian Athletics Championships in April 2025.

ALPA was excited to support them to get to Perth for the National Athletics Championships.

Pushing limits across a range of track events

Trevor showcased his versatility on the track competing in the 100m, 200m and 400m in the Under-20 men’s age group. His hard work paid off and he achieved personal bests across all three races.

Briseis lined up for the 200m and 400m in the women’s Para Athlete TF 38 classification, scoring a personal best for the 200m. Beyond these races, Briseis is also skilled in 100m and long jump, with impressive performances in past events. 

Briseis’ athletics journey

Briseis, a Year 11 student, has been pursuing her passion for athletics for eight years. Starting her journey in Primary School, she’s now honed her skills while training between Darwin and Ramingining.

At the 2024 All Schools, Briseis won three gold medals, and at last year’s Nationals she took home gold in the 200m and 400m and silver in the 100m.

‘When I run, I feel free, and I have fun’.

As she prepared to compete at the Nationals, Briseis expressed her excitement to race alongside her best friend Telaya Blacksmith, who also competes in similar events.

When we asked Briseis how she stays strong, she said ‘keep training, focus and commit’.

Standing at the start line, she often feels a mix of nervousness and excitement – a combination that fuels her performance, but also allows her to enjoy the experience along the way.

Briseis' dream is to be like her idol Cathy Freeman and represent Australia, with an eye toward the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.

Trevor: Motivated to race against top Australian athletes

In 2024, Trevor competed at several events, including the Northern Territory Championships, the East Arnhem Championships and the All Schools Championships.

It was at the All Schools Championships in Brisbane that Trevor first faced off against rising athletics star Gout Gout in the 100m.

As he geared up for the National Championships, Trevor was eager to go head-to-head with Gout Gout for a second time and put his training to the test.

Trevor’s favourite race is the 100m, where he thrives with his love for short, fast sprints. He also shows powerful potential in the 400m. This is a race that Trevor finds more challenging to train for, but his coach says he has a lot of unleashed talent in this longer-distance event.

For Trevor, his ideal training spot is the beach, where the natural surroundings help his focus and energy.  

A huge congratulations to Trevor and Briseis from ALPA! We are excited to see where your athletics journey takes you next and look forward to continuing our support along the way.